A firearm and methods of operations are disclosed in the illustrative embodiment of a pistol.
The firearms industry is relatively unchanged in the last 30 years, and there is desire in the market for firearms that do not give up reliability in exchange for size, power and the ability for interchangeability of types of rounds. Some firearms excel at compact size but give up reliability, while others offer versatility of types of rounds that can be fired but give up weight and size. Currently, there are two common methods of unlocking the slide from the barrel. One is a tilting barrel where the barrel pivots out of the way of the slide to allow the slide to slip past locking lugs that are an integral part of the barrel. The second is a rotating barrel that shifts back with the slide then rotates so that the locking lugs on the barrel disengage from the slide. The only similar methods of locking the barrel to the slide are a linear drop lock or rollers that require a much larger width of the frame and slide.
Thus, there is need in the market for reliable appropriately sized firearms that do not sacrifice any of items as sacrificed in the prior art. This need entails the need for improved methods of unloading the magazine, loading the firearm, triggering and locking the barrel to the breach face.